Community digs up time capsule in east Texas; high school students create new one

ATLANTA, Texas (KSLA) - Communities members in Atlanta gathered Friday morning to open a time capsule, originally sealed and buried on Sept. 9, 1972, exactly 50 years ago to the day.

Kate Stow, who was present for the original burial, planned the event; she says she wanted to bring together community members and relatives alike to see history from the people of the town’s past.

“This is more than just an event for me. This is so personal. I remembered this was coming up, and I remembered all my mom’s memories, and I have all her notes, and papers, and old pictures, from when she worked at the newspaper 50 years ago,” she said.

Some people in attendance were relatives of those who buried items in the capsule back in ‘72.

When the lid came off, most of the items were unfortunately waterlogged but this didn’t dampen anyone’s excitement.

“It still shows you the memory and everything that was shared the day they put it down in the ground,” said Greta Feimster, Miss Atlanta 2022.

Feimster’s grandmother was at the 1972 burial and was also Miss Atlanta for that year!

William “Big” Allen says he was there the day the time capsule was buried.

“We were the ones that buried it. We buried this thing 50 years ago,” he said.

Items inside the capsule ranged from family heirlooms, state flags, old whiskey bottles, and even a Playboy magazine.

A group of students from the local high school also attended the event to create a new time capsule, which will be opened in another 50 years, in 2072.

Copyright 2022 KSLA. All rights reserved.